NAESP, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education, held its annual National Distinguished Principals program last Thursday and Friday and it was a great success. Sixty-one outstanding elementary and middle school principals from schools across the nation and abroad were honored at the Capitol Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C.

During the program, principals described how receiving the award has positively impacted them in their communities. It was such a treat to hear them discuss their commitment to their schools and communities and it’s great for them to receive the recognition they deserve. Several principals were interviewed during the program by their local TV news affiliates and many others have been featured in their local newspapers. (Some of the articles can be read on the NAESP Web site at http://www.naesp.org/ContentLoad.do?contentId=1724.)

A black-tie awards banquet on Friday capped the two-day event. Gail Connelly, NAESP’s executive director, and Ray Simon, the deputy secretary for the Department of Education, thanked the principals for their tremendous dedication to their schools and communities. Congrats to the 2007 Class of National Distinguished Principals. Simply the best!